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Journals / Sportive / 2026 / Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2

Psychology From The Athletes’ Perspective: A Metaphor Study

Sporcuların Gözünden Psikoloji: Bir Metafor Çalışması

Buse Sulu(İstanbul Esenyurt Üniversitesi, Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi)0000-0003-3749-6129
Erdem Çakaloğlu(Marmara Üniversitesi, Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi)0000-0003-1187-8276
Journal
Sportive
Pages
284–304
Publication Date
2026-09-16
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings revealed that athletes most frequently conceptualized sport psychology through the categories of "Directive and Motivating" (24.3%), "Vital Necessity" (17.3%), and "Balance and Stability" (14.5%), followed by "Fundamental Building Block" (13.6%), "Reflection and Awareness" (12.6%), "Healing and Supportive" (10.3%), and "Struggle and Strength" (7.5%).

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study aims to examine athletes' mental representations of the concept of "sport psychology" through metaphor analysis.
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Key Findings & Data:The study group consisted of 239 athletes aged 18 and older who had been actively competing in the same sport for at least three years.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings revealed that athletes most frequently conceptualized sport psychology through the categories of "Directive and Motivating" (24.3%), "Vital Necessity" (17.3%), and "Balance and Stability" (14.5%), followed by "Fundamental Building Block" (13.6%), "Reflection and Awareness" (12.6%), "Healing and Supportive" (10.3%), and "Struggle and Strength" (7.5%).
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Metafor analizi · sporcu algısı · spor psikolojisi

Abstract

This study aims to examine athletes' mental representations of the concept of "sport psychology" through metaphor analysis. The study group consisted of 239 athletes aged 18 and older who had been actively competing in the same sport for at least three years. Data were collected via an online form; participants were asked to complete the prompt "Sport psychology is like… because…". After excluding 25 participants who failed to produce valid metaphorical expressions or misused the prompt, 214 valid metaphorical expressions were analyzed using content analysis. A total of 69 distinct metaphors were identified and grouped into seven thematic categories. The findings revealed that athletes most frequently conceptualized sport psychology through the categories of "Directive and Motivating" (24.3%), "Vital Necessity" (17.3%), and "Balance and Stability" (14.5%), followed by "Fundamental Building Block" (13.6%), "Reflection and Awareness" (12.6%), "Healing and Supportive" (10.3%), and "Struggle and Strength" (7.5%). The results indicate that athletes conceptualize sport psychology not merely as a support tool, but as a comprehensive system that guides performance, maintains psychological balance, facilitates recovery, and builds strength. The predominantly positive connotations of the generated metaphors suggest a reduction in stigma associated with help-seeking behavior among athletes. The study offers important practical implications for the dissemination of sport psychology services and the design of intervention programs that account for athletes' pre-existing mental representations.

Özet

Bu araştırma, sporcuların "spor psikolojisi" kavramına ilişkin zihinsel temsillerini metafor analizi yöntemiyle incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu, en az üç yıldır aktif olarak aynı branşta spor yapan ve 18 yaşından büyük olan 239 sporcu oluşturmaktadır. Veriler, çevrimiçi form aracılığıyla toplanmış; katılımcılardan "Spor psikolojisi … gibidir. Çünkü …" kalıbını tamamlamaları istenmiştir. Geçerli metaforik ifade üretemeyen ya da kalıbı yanlış kullanan 25 katılımcının verisi çıkarıldıktan sonra elde edilen 214 geçerli metaforik ifade içerik analizi yöntemiyle çözümlenmiş; 69 farklı metafor belirlenmiş ve bu metaforlar yedi tematik kategori altında toplanmıştır. Araştırma bulguları, sporcuların spor psikolojisini en yüksek oranda "Yönlendirici ve Harekete Geçirici" (%24.3), "Yaşamsal Zorunluluk" (%17.3) ve "Denge ve İstikrar" (%14.5) kategorileriyle kavramsallaştırdığını ortaya koymaktadır. Bunu sırasıyla "Temel Yapıtaşı" (%13.6), "Yansıtma ve Farkındalık" (%12.6), "İyileştirici ve Destekleyici" (%10.3) ve "Mücadele ve Güç" (%7.5) kategorileri izlemektedir. Bulgular, sporcuların spor psikolojisini salt bir destek aracı olarak değil; performansı yönlendiren, psikolojik dengeyi koruyan, iyileştiren ve güçlendiren bütüncül bir sistem olarak kavramsallaştırdığını göstermektedir. Üretilen metaforların büyük çoğunluğunun olumlu çağrışımlar taşıması, psikolojik yardım arama davranışına ilişkin damgalanma algısının azaldığına işaret etmektedir. Araştırma, spor psikolojisi hizmetlerinin yaygınlaştırılması ve müdahale programlarının tasarımında sporcuların zihinsel temsillerinin dikkate alınması gerektiğine dair önemli uygulamalı çıkarımlar sunmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Sulu, B., Çakaloğlu, E. (2026). Psychology From The Athletes’ Perspective: A Metaphor Study. Sportive, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2, 284–304. https://doi.org/10.53025/sportive.1963809

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